An adverb is a word that tells us more about a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Read the following examples.
a. Tom was very sleepy.
b. She laughed timidly.c. Dia was walking rapidly.
Kinds of Adverbs
A. Adverb of Manner tells us how something is done or happens. These adverbs answer the question ‘how’.
Example: Rita sings beautifully. (The Verb here is ‘sing’ and the Adverb is ‘beautifully’ and the question being asked is: How does she sing?)
Most of the adverbs of manner are formed by adding –ly to the adjectives. Some commonly used adverbs of manner include words like eagerly, anxiously, patiently, quickly, correctly, simply, easily, fast, well, loudly, completely, etc.
Some more examples
The lady grumbled loudly while cleaning the floor.
The boys were seriously injured in the fight.At the advanced age of 88, she still sang very well.
The mechanic fixed the problem easily.
B. Adverb of Place tells us where something is done or happens. These adverbs answer the question ‘where’.
Example: He kept his keys somewhere. (Here the Verb is ‘kept’ and the Adverb is ‘somewhere’.)
Some commonly used adverbs of place include words like somewhere, here, there, upwards, downwards, in, out, abroad, underground, upstairs, home, anywhere, nowhere, etc.
Some more examples
In spring, flowers bloom everywhere.
They serve hot chocolate fudge there.
I am waiting here for my mom.
She is standing outside.
C. Adverb of Time tells us when something done or happens. These adverbs answer the question ‘when’.
Example: We will leave today. (Here the Verb is ‘leave’ and the Adverb is ‘today’.)
Some commonly used adverbs of time include words like after, already, finally, next, later, last, yesterday, tomorrow, early, immediately, when, while, recently, now, just, during, then, soon, never, before, etc. We use it at the beginning or at the end of a sentence. We use it as a form of emphasis when we place it at the beginning.
Some more examples
She went to the market in the evening.
A five-storey collapsed yesterday.
Last week, we were stuck in the traffic jam for an hour.
D. Adverb of Frequency tells us how often something happens. They answer the question ‘how often’. These Adverbs are used to show the duration or timing of the action that is happening/had happened/will happen.
Example: She likes to watch movie every day. (Here the Verb is ‘watch’ and the Adverb is ‘every day’.)
Some commonly used adverbs of frequency include words like always, rarely, sometimes, often, usually, seldom, occasionally, frequently, yearly etc.
Some more examples
My grandparents live in Patna. I visit them often.
She watches Tamil films occasionally.
They rarely go for outing.
He always brush his teeth before he go to bed.
I have been to Mumbai just once.
I sometimes go for a walk in the nearby park.
E. Adverb of Degree tells us to show to what extent or how much has an action been done or will be done. They answer the question ‘how much’.
Example: The accident victim nearly died from his injuries. (Here the Verb is ‘died’ and the Adverb is ‘nearly’.)
Some commonly used adverbs of degree include words like almost, entirely, somewhat, very, much, too, rather, nearly, least, yet, completely, partially, fully, etc.
Some more examples
Dia almost finished the work.
She was very impressed with her results.
It is extremely cold today.
F. Adverb of Reason or purpose tells us why something is done or something has happened. They answer the question ‘why’.
Example: The bus was late, so I missed my meeting. (Here the Verb is ‘missed’ and the Adverb is ‘so’.)
Some commonly used adverbs of reason include words like therefore, so, hence, subsequently, conversely, nevertheless, despite, etc.
Some more examples
I was not well, hence didn’t go to school today.
Lady heard a loud noise; therefore, she called the police.
Because he was sick, he stayed home.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Adverbs
Articles
There are 3 articles in English i.e. ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’. In fact there are certain situations where no article is needed. We have to follow certain guidelines in order to decide which article to use before a noun in the sentence.
First of all we have to categorize the noun as countable and uncountable. Countable nouns are those that refer to something that can be counted. They have both singular and plural forms (e.g. flower/flowers; man/men; country/countries). In the singular, they can be preceded by ‘a’ or ‘an’. Uncountable nouns are those that cannot be divided into separate elements and thus cannot be counted. For example- milk, oil, hair etc.
Rules for using articles ‘a’ and ‘an’.
1. Indefinite articles includes - ‘a’ and ‘an’. Articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ are called indefinite articles because they refer to any member of a group, rather than to a particular member of the group. We use them before a singular countable noun. Example: a pen, a boy, a plant, a building, a man, a red umbrella, a camel, a swimming pool, a university, etc.
2. We use ‘a’ and ‘an’ depending upon the sound with which a countable noun begins. Noun may begin with a consonant sound or a vowel sound.3. We use ‘an’ if the following word begins with a vowel sound although they begin with a consonant. Example: an apple, an elephant, an hour, an MBA, an MNC, an MLA, an MP, an umbrella, an Igloo, an octopus, an honest girl, an ugly dress, an egg etc.
4. We use ‘a’ if the following word begins with a consonant sound. Example: a table, a girl, a book, a teacher, a union, etc.
5. We usually use a/an before a singular countable noun when we introduce a noun for the first time while speaking or writing.
6. Article ‘a’ is also used in phrases like have a headache, a bad cold, a noise, to be in a hurry, a good option etc.
7. The plural of indefinite articles ‘a/an’ is ‘some’. Word ‘some’ is used to denote unknown or any of the things.
Example:
b. Pick up some mustard oil. (Means oil of any brand.)
Rules for using article ‘the’
‘The’ is called as the definite article as it points to a specific person or thing. Here the speaker as well the writer is aware of the identity of the noun.
Example:
a. The sun is the ultimate source of energy.
b. I met the doctor who is a neurosurgeon.
c. The order for laptops was sent yesterday.
1. We use ‘the’ before a noun when we talk about a particular member of a group (common noun). Example: The minister was invited for inauguration function of the mall.
2. Article ‘the’ is also used when noun is unique and one of its kind. Example: the morning star, the saturn, the earth, the moon, the sun, the sky, the stars, the heaven, the hell etc.
3. Article ‘the’ is used on its subsequent reference after it has already been introduced or used while writing or speaking. Example: I saw a boy and a girl playing along the beach. The boy was making a castle using sand. In this sentence, both the words ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ are countable nouns and hence the words are preceded by ‘a’ when used for the first time. But the same word is preceded by ‘the’ when repeated in the same context.
4. Definite article ‘the’ is also used before superlative adjectives. Example: the tallest tree, the most beautiful house, the longest rope, the least harmful medicine, the best option etc.
Sample Sentence
a. This is the smallest umbrella I have ever seen.
b. Our kitchen garden is the biggest in our neighborhood.
c. This is the best alternative among others.d. She is the most beautiful girl in our locality.
5. Use ‘the’ to represent the entire class or group of people, animals or things.
Example:
a. The cat is as nice as dog.
b. The toddler is naughty by nature.
6. Before the names of (a) sacred books, (b) newspapers, (c) rivers, (d) well known buildings, (e) mountain ranges, (f) seas, oceans, (g) islands etc.
Example:
a. The Gita, the Bible, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Quran.
b. The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times, The New York Times, The Tribune, The Indian Express etc.
c. The Ganga, the Nile, the Yamuna, the Indus, the Narmada etc.
d. The Himalayas, the Andes, the Western Ghats, the Nilgiris, the Alps etc.
e. The Indian Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean.
7. Write ‘the’ before the names of communities. Example: the Hindus, the Muslims, the Cholas, the Christians, the Sikhs, the English, the Aryans.
8. Use article ‘the’ in phrases like in the winter, in the summer, in the autumn, in the morning, in the evening, in the afternoon, in the night and linkers like on the other hand, to speak the reality, to tell you the fact etc.
9. We use ‘the’ following a class. Example: the rich, the poor, the middle class, the elite, the schedule caste etc.
10. Use ‘the’ when ‘of’ is a part of the school’s or universities name. Example: the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India, the University of Calcutta etc.
11. Use article ‘the’ to refer a part from a large group.
Example:
a. One of the girls was absent.
b. Some of the stolen jewelry was recovered.
12. Avoid using ‘the’ unless the name of the country refers to a group or has the word “of” within the name. Example: United States of America.
13. Use the before ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second,” “third”, “fourth” etc.
Omission of the Article
1. Do not use articles before cities and streets. Example: His clinic is in Ghaziabad.
2. When we refer to a common noun that stands for something in the widest of sense.
Example:
a. He is only man. (It means that he cannot be God.)
b. What kind of answer is it?
3. Skip article in case of material noun.
Example:
a. Platinum is very precious.
b. Don’t waste water.
4. Skip article while referring to language.
Example:
a. Hindi is my mother tongue.
b. I scored good grade in English in my first term exam.
5. Articles are not required while referring the name of a relation like brother, sister, mother, father, husband, God.
Example:
a. My brother is coming tonight.
b. Mother is already home.
6. Article is not used before proper nouns like Qutub Minar, Rajiv, Delhi except in few cases.
Example:
a. He is the Shakespeare of our city.
b. He is the Newton of this era.
7. Do not use any article before temple, church, school, hospital, bed, market, court, etc. which are visited for the primary purpose for which they have been created.
Example:
a. She is going to market.(to shop)
b. She is going to the market. (for some other purpose)
a. There are some mangoes trees in his garden.
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countable Nouns
1. Countable nouns include people, animals, places, things, or ideas that can be counted using numbers.
For example: "pencil".
We can count pencils. We can have one, two, three or more pencils.
2. Countable Nouns have both singular and plural forms (e.g. pen/pens; man/men; country/countries).
Sample Sentences:
a) A buffalo gives milk. (Singular)
b) Buffaloes give milk. (Plural)
a) A child is playing in the park. (Singular)
b) Children are playing in the park. (Plural)
3. Most countable noun is preceded by a/an, e.g. a book, a girl, a child, an apple.
i. We use ‘an’ before a countable noun that begins with a vowel sound (20 vowel sounds). Example: an egg, an ostrich, an ant, an heir, etc.
ii. When a word begins with a consonant sound (24 sounds), we use ‘a’ before it. Example: a bag, a radio.
4. In addition to ‘a’ / ‘an’, the countable nouns is also preceded by word such as one, two, many etc.
For Example: one toy, a few sticks; many girls, ten books, etc.
The words such as two, three, four, many, few etc. are used with plural countable nouns, whereas ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘one’ are used with singular countable nouns.
Sample Sentences:
a. She has two dolls.
b. He owns a bungalow.
c. I would like to buy three books.
d. How many chocolates do you have?
e. There are at least twenty hotels in this area.
f. Mira took a lot of photographs of her little brother.
g. Your bag is on the table.
Uncountable Nouns
1. Anything that cannot be counted using number is an uncountable noun. We use uncountable nouns for abstract ideas or qualities or for physical objects that are too small to be counted (liquids, powders, gases, etc.). They are considered as a whole or mass as they cannot be separated or counted.
For Example:Ideas and experiences: advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work etc.
Materials and substances: water, rice, oil, cement, gold, milk, wood, metal, cheese, sand, rice, coffee, air, oxygen, wood, steel, tea, gold, silver etc.
Weather words: weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow etc.
Names for groups or collections of things: furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage, fruit, food, vocabulary, news, French, chemistry, economics, science, math etc.
Other common uncountable nouns include: accommodation, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, travel, information, advice, education, democracy, intelligence, electricity, sunshine, radiation, heat, magnetism etc.
Sample Sentences:
a. Rita always wears expensive jewelry.
b. Is this your luggage?
2. They are always singular and we must always use singular verbs in conjunction with uncountable nouns. They usually do not have a plural form. Abstract nouns like love, kindness, sweetness, pride, beauty, happiness, pain, feelings, ideas, air, weather, etc. are uncountable nouns.
3. To denote the quantity of uncountable nouns, we use words like little; a little; much or a lot of.
We hardly say: Give me one milk or I like a milk.
For Example:
a. Our mentor gives me a lot of encouragement.
b. There is a little water in the glass.
4. There is no plural form for an uncountable noun.
Sample sentences:
a. This hanging is made of jute.
b. The jute crop is grown in West Bengal.
Note:
Many nouns act as countable or uncountable on the basis of their structure or context. Study the following set of sentences.
a. Gold is used for making ornaments. (Here gold is uncountable as it is a material )
b. India won many gold medals in the Asian Games. (Here gold medals are countable)
Congratulations, alms, etc. are always used as plurals.
Sample Sentences:
a. My heartiest congratulations! You won the gold medal.
b. He gives alms to the poor.
Nouns like trousers, pants, spectacles, goggles, scissors, drawers, tights, shorts, jeans etc. are also used only as plural. However we use ‘a pair of’, ‘a piece of’, ‘a set of’, etc. before them.
Sample Sentences:
a. I bought a new pair of glasses.
b. I will buy a pair of jeans to go with this shirt.
c. He gifted me a piece of jewelry on my birthday.
The plural forms of countable and uncountable nouns are preceded by ‘some’, when the quantity or number is not specified. We use ‘some’ for affirmative statements and ‘any’ for the negative statements or for questions with countable and uncountable nouns.
Sample Sentences:
a. Give me some butter please.
b. There aren’t any teachers in the staff room.
c. I haven’t got any certificates or any awards.
d. Have you got any mangoes or any drink?
e. There are some mangoes on the table.
f. I need some water.
g. There were some girls in the room.
h. I need some help.
Measurement Nouns
Words like foot, mile, hour, month, second, page, block, etc. are singular when used before the noun.
Example: a 5 foot structure; a 24 page document; a 20 rupee note, a two hour documentary etc.
But when they are used after the nouns they take the plural forms.
Example: a structure of 5 feet, a document of 24 pages, a note of 20 rupees.
The Parts Of Speech
The Parts Of Speech
In a sentence, words can be considered as the smallest components that have unique meanings. We can categorize words into several types or parts of speech based on their use and functions. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Therefore, understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct meaning of a word.
There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
This part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons, places, things, events or ideas. All nouns are naming words.
Example: Ravi, woman, boy (person); elephant, rabbit, tiger (animal); parrot, crow, sparrow (bird); Delhi, Mumbai, India (place); computer, mobile, pencil (thing); honesty, courage (idea), etc. Whatever we can see, feel or think and have names are considered nouns.
Sample Sentences:
1. Rita lives in India.
2. Mina uses an ink pen for writing.
3. Tina is very flexible.
4. Diva is looking very pretty.
5. Today is Harry’s birthday.
6. My brother is shifting to Calcutta.
2. The Pronoun
This part of a speech refers to a word that replaces a noun. They eliminate the need for repetition. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent.
Example: I, you, he, she, we, ours, mine, yours, his, her, him, hers, they, them, theirs, it, etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. Jia is a very determined child. She always focuses on her goal.
2. The largest share is mine.
3. We are Indian.
4. The teacher gave all of them punishment.
5. Tina gave her bicycle to Rina.
6. His car is bigger than ours.
3. The Adjective
This part of a speech refers to a word that modifies, describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun. Adjectives are describing words and normally come before the nouns.
Example: fast, quiet, useful, much, pretty, old, blue, smart, beautiful, big, sad, red, young, fun, crazy, three etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. The little boy had a blue umbrella.
2. The hardworking student received "A" grade.
3. I have two cars.
5. She is a young woman.
6. Tom is a wise man.
4. The Verb
This part of a speech refers to a word that tells us what the subject does, or what happens to it, or what state it is in, or what possesses.
Examples: am, is, was, are, were, have, has, had, do, does, did, be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been, should, could, will, would, might, can, may, must, shall, ought (to), go, speak, run, eat, play, live, walk, like etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. They are always ready for any disaster.
2. Ria is charming.
3. Tia runs every morning.
4. I like vanilla ice-cream.
5. We had a healthy breakfast.
6. I think that she is right.
5. The Adverb
This part of a speech refers to a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Adverbs tell us how, when, where, how often and to what degree (extent) something happens or takes place. Adverbs often end in -ly.
Examples: gently, quickly, extremely, carefully, well, slowly, quietly, very, always, never, too, tomorrow, here etc.
Sample sentences:
1. He ate his pie quickly.
2. The teacher carefully corrected the exam copy.
3. Ravi was extremely excited about his adventure camp.
4. She danced gracefully.
5. We are going tomorrow.
6. He looked everywhere for his sunglasses.
6. The Preposition
This part of a speech refers to a word or a group of words that shows its relation with another noun or pronoun or a verb. Therefore it can also be called as a ‘relation’ word and comes before a noun or a pronoun in a sentence. They are used to indicate time, place, direction or relationship.
Example: in, on, into, at, by, upon, across, beside, between, of, out of, for, above, below, throughout, outside, before, near etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. Rita’s act is lying under the bed.
2. She left her purse on the table.
3. He sat on the carpet.
4. Let's go into the cave.
5. They will gather at 5 o’ clock in the evening.
6. Look under the pillow.
7. The Conjunction (Connectors or Linking Words)
This part of a speech refers to a word that joins two or more words, phrases, or clauses. . There are three kinds of conjunctions:
1. Coordinating Conjunctions: These are the words that join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical importance in the sentence. Example: and, but, or, so, nor, for, yet.
2. Correlative Conjunctions: These are the words that join equally important ideas, but they work in pairs. Example: either...or, both...and, not only...but also, neither…nor, whether…or, either…or
3. Subordinating Conjunctions: These are the words that join words, phrases, and clauses that are not equal. Example: because, although, while, since, after, as, as if, before, even if, even though, if, so that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether.
Sample sentences:
1. He wants to go, but he can't.
2. She is honest and hardworking.
3. Would you like a cup of tea or a coffee?
4. He didn't clear the test because he was not prepared.
5. We were thirsty, so we ordered cold drinks.
6. I was exhausted but I still finished my assignment.
8. The Interjection
This part of a speech refers to a word or phrase that states strong, sudden emotions. It expresses strong feelings of joy, sadness, surprise, appreciation, condemnation, etc. Since interjections are commonly used to convey strong emotions, they are usually followed by an exclamation mark but in case of mild interjections we place comma after the interjection.
Example: Ouch!, Alas!, Oh!, Bravo!, Fantastic!, Gorgeous!, Wow!, Hurrah!, Pooh!, Pshaw!, Fie!, Gosh!
Sample Sentences:
1. Ouch! I got hurt.
2. Hurray! Tomorrow is a holiday.
3. Hey! You are wrong.
4. Oh, we’re late for the party.
5. Oh! I’m late for my office.
6. Wow! I cleared my IIT entrance exam.
Note 1: Articles and determiners like a, an, the, some, any, etc. are also adjectives but they are studied separately due to their importance in modifying the meaning of the word they qualify.
Note 2: Same Word – Several Parts of Speech
There are words that can be used in more than one way. This implies that a word can function as several different parts of speech. The function of a word in a sentence decides to which part of speech it belongs.
Note the highlighted words in the following sentences.
1. She like to watch plays on T.V. (noun)
2. He plays cricket during his vacation. (verb)
3. I would like a drink. (noun)
4. They drink too much alcohol. (verb)
5. Rima bought a new sofa for her house. (noun)
6. She is planning to buy a sofa bed for her living room. (adjective)
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